The inventive concepts described herein generally relate to memory devices, and more particularly, the inventive concepts relate to non-volatile memory devices including a phase-change material.
Phase-change random access memory (PRAM) is an example of a non-volatile memory device which retains stored data in the absence of applied power. The PRAM is characterized by the use of a phase-change material having two or more thermally programmable resistive states to store data. In particular, the relative crystallinity of the phase change material is altered by thermal treatment (e.g., joule heating) to establish different resistivities of the material. A phase-change material in a relatively crystalline state exhibits a lower resistivity than a phase-change material in a relatively amorphous state.
As with other types of non-volatile memory devices, practical application of PRAM devices is largely dependent upon the ability to operate at a relatively low operating voltage and to exhibit relatively low power consumption.